Toyota Supra headed to Nascar series?

It seemed both prophetic and appropriate when Toyota showed its GR Supra Racing Concept at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The car's long hood, wide stance and gaping intakes looked for all the world like they were designed with motorsports livery and sponsorship decals in mind. But forgive us at Roadshow for never having considered that Toyota would actually consider taking their upcoming sports car racing in Nascar.

Yet that's exactly what's being reported by Sports Business Journal. According to the publication, the Supra will take the place of Toyota's Camry in Nascar's Xfinity Series feeder program soon, and it seems likely that if that happens, the Supra will eventually appear in the flagship Monster Energy Cup Series, too.

Toyota's Camry has been a mainstay in Nascar since the Japanese automaker entered the series a decade ago.

If the notion of Toyota's bona-fide sports car mixing it up in Nascar seems a bit odd, remember that the stock-car racing series is no longer exclusively the preserve of large sedans turned coupes. After Chevrolet discontinued the SS, it decided its race cars would wear bodywork patterned on the Camaro ZL1, and 2018 is expected to be the final year that Ford races a version of its Fusion family sedan. Next year, the Blue Oval has announced plans to field a version of its Mustang pony car in Nascar's headlining Monster Energy Cup Series.

Toyota declined to comment to Roadshow for this story.

Toyota has yet to unveil its production fifth-generation Supra, which is being codeveloped with BMW and is widely expected to debut with rear-wheel drive and six-cylinder power.

While the idea of seeing a new Supra lapping the high banking at Talladega running fender-to-fender with Ford and The General's latest muscle cars sounds intriguing, we're also hoping Toyota commits to taking the Supra endurance racing, too.